The United States leads the world in cases of COVID-19. We’ll provide the latest updates on coronavirus cases, government response, impacts to our daily life, and more.
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Trump’s Plan to Reopen the Nation Gives Governors Broad Authority to Lift Coronavirus Restrictions
President Trump on Thursday revealed a “phased and deliberate approach” to reopen the nation and its economy, giving governors authority to decide how and when to lift social distancing orders designed to curb the coronavirus.
Trump described his three-phase plan as a set of guidelines governors can tailor to fit the diverse needs of their own state. States with very few coronavirus cases might reopen as soon as tomorrow, Trump said at the daily White House briefing.
“If you look at Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota – that’s a lot different than New York. It’s a lot different than New Jersey,” Trump said.
Widespread testing will be essential. Before restrictions are lifted, states would need to meet benchmarks such as showing 14-day decreases in new cases and a return to pre-pandemic conditions at hospitals, White House officials said.
Early recognition of new cases and testing in nursing homes will be emphasized, said Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator. Hand washing and social distancing will still be encouraged.
“We can begin the next front in our war, which we’re calling ‘Opening up America Again,’” Trump said. “We have to do this. America wants to be open, and Americans want to be open.”
He said a national shutdown was not a sustainable long-term solution, adding, “We must also preserve the health and functioning of our economy.”
Dr. Birx described three phases states must go through as they seek a return to normalcy.
When states are in phase 1, vulnerable individuals would continue to shelter in place and schools would stay closed. Workers would be urged to telework and non-essential travel would be discouraged. Large venues, such as restaurants, could reopen with strict social distancing protocols.
After states advance to phase 2, schools and daycares could reopen and some people could return to their workplaces. Non-essential travel could resume. Gatherings of more than 50 people would be avoided. Vulnerable individuals would continue to shelter in place. Elective surgeries could resume. Nursing home visits would still be prohibited.
In phase 3 states, there would be no workplace restrictions. Big venues like restaurants would operate under very few restrictions. Vulnerable individuals could go out in public but would be encouraged to practice social distancing.
Trump has said it’s important to get the national economy back in gear. Since the middle of March, 22 million people have filed first-time unemployment claims.
Some people think Trump is moving too fast. Industry leaders told Trump Wednesday more testing is needed before reopening the country. Public health officials, along with state and local leaders, have been asking for more testing as a way to know who is infected and then to find out who has immunity.
Trump said Thursday that the process should not be rushed and that health should be emphasized. “The last thing we want is for a New York to come back too soon, or a New jersey to come back too soon,” he said.
As of Thursday, about 663,000 coronavirus cases and more than 30,000 deaths related to the virus have been reported in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University.
California became the first state to issue a stay-at-home order on March 19. Since then, all but a handful of states have issued similar statewide orders that shut down non-essential businesses such as restaurants, closed schools, and asked residents to work from home and practice social distancing.
New York is the nation’s hotspot, with around 222,000 cases and over 12,000 deaths.
New York’s neighbor, New Jersey, has 75,000 cases and more than 3,000 deaths.
But less-populous states haven’t suffered as much. Wyoming has less than 300 cases and only two deaths. South Dakota has less than 1,200 cases and seven deaths.
A few days ago Trump asserted he had “absolute authority” when states would reopen, but then said he’d give state leaders a lot of leeway.
“It’s up to the governors,” he said Thursday.
Not all state and local leaders appeared to share Trump’s optimism.
On Thursday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo extended his state’s restrictions to May 15 and ordered New Yorkers to wear face masks in public.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday that sporting events, concerts and other large gatherings may not pick up again until 2021.
Some states are taking a regional approach to reopening their economies.
The governors of seven states — Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin – announced Thursday they will work together. Governors in the West and East Coasts have made similar announcements.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease specialist and one of Trump’s top coronavirus advisers, said it’s important to contain the coronavirus until a vaccine is developed, which probably won’t happen until next year.
“It may very well be that as we go the cycle around there will be this virus that wants to come back to us. I think we will be able to handle that,” Fauci said.
California Creates COVID-19 Relief Fund for Undocumented Immigrants
April 16, 4:05 p.m.
California is the first state to create a disaster relief fund for undocumented residents, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday.
The $125 million fund will help those who can’t receive unemployment insurance or CARES Act benefits, including $75 million from the state and $50 million from philanthropic partners, according to a news release.
About 150,000 undocumented adults will receive $500 each, with a cap of $1,000 per household. Applications will open at the beginning of May. The funds will be dispersed through regional nonprofits that serve undocumented communities.
Undocumented immigrants make up 10% of the state’s workforce, Newsom said during a news conference Wednesday, according to The Associated Press. They paid more than $2.5 billion in state and local taxes in 2019, he said.
“Every Californian, including our undocumented neighbors and friends, should know that California is here to support them during this crisis,” Newsom said in a statement. “We are all in this together.”
Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, a group of charities that focus on immigration issues, has committed to raising the $50 million to support the California Immigrant Resilience Fund, which has a dedicated website for donations. The group has raised more than $6 million so far.
The state also created an immigrant resource guide with information about COVID-19 and available benefits.
Newsom also announced a new call center to handle unemployment claims, which will start on Monday, and a “one-stop shop” for those applying for the new federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, which will start on April 28 to help self-employed workers and independent contractors.
“Many Californians are one paycheck away from losing their homes or from being able to put food on their tables, and COVID-19 has only made these challenges worse,” Newsom said in the news release. “California is focused on getting relief dollars and unemployment assistance in the hands of those who need it as quickly as possible.”
Prescriptions for Anxiety, Depression Spiked in March
April 16, 1:50 p.m.
The number of prescriptions filled for anti-anxiety drugs spiked 34%, and orders for anti-anxiety and anti-insomnia medications also increased from mid-February to mid-March and peaked around March 15, according to a new report released Thursday.
The increase “demonstrates the serious impact COVID-19 may be having on our nation’s mental health,” according to the report by Express Scripts, a pharmacy benefit manager owned by Cigna. The data is based on Express Scripts customers with employer-funded insurance.
Anti-anxiety medications had the largest jump, with the number of filled prescriptions increasing 34% from Feb. 16 to March 15. Antidepressants increased about 19%, and anti-insomnia orders increased nearly 15%. The peak coincides with the World Health Organization declaring a global pandemic for the novel coronavirus on March 11 and the U.S. beginning to issue stay-at-home orders, according to a CNN story about the new report.
Before now, the use of these drugs had declined during the past 5 years, according to the report. The use of anti-anxiety medications was down 12% between 2015 to 2019, and anti-insomnia medication use was down 11%.
During that period, however, the use of antidepressants increased among U.S. teens, the report said. Antidepressant use increased 15% among Americans overall and 38% among those between ages 13-19. About twice as many girls as boys took antidepressants in 2019.
“While the recent increased use of medications to treat anxiety, depression and sleep disorders is sudden, it is encouraging to see our members recognizing the need for help and seeking support from their physician,” the report stated.
Mental health professionals are beginning to speak up about the need for digital tools and support groups to help people during and after the COVID-19 outbreak. Several health professionals wrote an editorial in JAMA Internal Medicine last week about the “inevitability of loneliness” due to physical and social distancing and ways to help.
“The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, and efforts to contain it, represent a unique threat, and we must recognize the pandemic that will quickly follow it — that of mental and behavioral illness — and implement the steps needed to mitigate it,” the authors wrote.
Major Drugmakers Join Forces on COVID-19 Vaccine
April 16, 10:40 a.m.
Two giant drug companies — Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline — are teaming up to come up with a vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Sanofi hopes its earlier research on a vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) will give it a leg up on the search for a COVID-19 vaccine. SARS is a disease caused by a coronavirus that’s similar to the one that causes COVID-19.
Sanofi says it will use technology called “recombinant DNA platform” to make genetic matches to the proteins on the surface of the new coronavirus.
GlaxoSmithKline plans to tap its experience in making “adjuvants” — ingredients added to vaccines that boost the response of your body’s immune system.
Adjuvants also reduce the amount of vaccine protein that’s needed for each dose. That lets vaccine makers create larger quantities of vaccines.
Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline hope they can start clinical trials on the vaccine by the end of this year. If they succeed, the companies say the vaccine will be ready for people to use by the second half of 2021.
The two drugmakers aren’t alone in the race to create a COVID-19 vaccine. Dozens of companies and research groups are also at work. The biotech company Moderna and a handful of other outfits have started testing vaccines in people.
Industry Leaders: More Testing Needed
April 15, 7:26 p.m.
Industry leaders meeting with President Donald Trump before Wednesday’s White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing told him that more testing is needed before reopening the country. Public health officials, along with state and local leaders, have been asking for more testing as a way to know who is infected and then to find out who has immunity. Trump is seeking guidance from the leaders on plans to loosen restrictions due to the virus.
At the briefing, Trump said he plans to speak to governors on Thursday “and we will have some information on some openings. I would say we have 20 states, but probably 29, that are in really good shape. We miss sports, we miss everything. We want to get our country open again. “
Deborah Birx, MD, the White House Coronavirus Task Force response coordinator, said social distancing has to continue despite some progress in reducing the spread of the coronavirus. She said they will look at states and metropolitan areas individually as they come up with the new guidelines, which are expected to be announced Thursday.
More Than 9,000 Health Care Workers Have Contracted COVID-19
April 15, 11:01 a.m.
More than 9,200 U.S. doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals had contracted the coronavirus, and 27 had died by the end of last week, the CDC reported Tuesday.
The numbers are likely an underestimation, the CDC said. The data comes from the 315,000 total cases reported to the CDC between Feb. 12 and April 9. Of those, only 16% listed an occupation. For instance, the 9,200 cases make up 3% of the 315,000 reported cases where job information was reported, but in states with more complete reporting of occupation, health care workers accounted for 11% of cases.
Health care workers with mild or no symptoms may not have been tested as well.
“It is critical to make every effort to ensure the health and safety of this essential national workforce of approximately 18 million [health care professionals], both at work and in the community,” according to a statement from the CDC’s COVID-19 Response Team, published in the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
According to the data, the average age of the health care workers who tested positive for the new coronavirus was 42, and about 73% were women. More than a third reported at least one other health condition.
In addition, 723 health care workers were hospitalized, and 184 were placed in intensive care. Although most of the health care workers weren’t hospitalized, severe outcomes were reported for all ages.
Among the 27 who died, 10 were age 65 or older. This should be considered when retired health care workers are encouraged to help with a COVID-19 surge, the report stated, which could mean using retired workers for telemedicine, administrative assignments, or non-coronavirus cases.
As more COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths occur, the number of health care professionals who test positive and die will likely increase as well, according to the report. “Additional measures” could reduce the risk of transmitting the virus, such as screening health care workers for fever and symptoms at the beginning of their shifts, prioritizing them for testing, and discouraging them from working while ill. Reporting more details about COVID-19 cases would help the CDC to draw better conclusions and create better guidelines, too.
“Improving surveillance through routine reporting of occupation and industry not only benefits [health care professionals], but all workers during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the CDC response team wrote.
First Case of Coronavirus Spreading From a Corpse Reported in Thailand
April 14, 4:05 p.m.
A medical professional in Thailand was infected with the new coronavirus while working with a corpse, apparently the first known case of the virus spreading from a dead body, according to letter in a medical journal.
The medical professional, only identified as a “forensic practitioner” in Bangkok, died from the coronavirus, said a letter published in the Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine.
“According to our best knowledge, this is the first report on COVID-19 infection and death among medical personnel in a Forensic Medicine unit,” said the letter written by Won Sriwijitalai of the RVT Medical Center in Bangkok, and Viroj Wiwanitkit of Hainan Medical University in Haikou, China.
They wrote that pathology/forensic units might want to adopt the disinfection procedures used in operating rooms. Workers in forensic departments are already wearing protective devices such as gloves, goggles, and masks, they wrote.
Angelique Corthals, a professor of pathology at City University of New York, told BuzzFeed that medical examiners, morgue technicians, and people working in funeral homes need to take special care. “It’s a real concern,” she said.
The letter in the medical journal said forensic medical professionals have a low chance of coming in contact with patients who have the new coronavirus, but “they can have contact with biological samples and corpses.”
The letter writers said nobody knows how many corpses contaminated with coronavirus exist because dead bodies are not routinely examined for the virus in Thailand.
Thailand has not been hit hard by coronavirus — Johns Hopkins University reports about 2,600 cases and 40 deaths — but was one of the first countries outside of China to report a case.
How many people have been diagnosed with the virus, and how many have died?
According to Johns Hopkins University, there are more than 2.1 million cases and more than 143,000 deaths worldwide. More than 542,000 people have also recovered.
How many cases of COVID-19 are in the United States?
There are almost 663,000 cases in the U.S. of COVID-19, and almost 31,000 deaths. More than 54,000 Americans have recovered from the disease, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. See a map of cases and deaths by state here.
What travel restrictions are there?
The State Department has urged all U.S. citizens to avoid any international travel due to the global impact of the new coronavirus.
If you are currently overseas, the department wants you to come home, “unless [you] are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period,” according to a statement.
“Many countries are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks and implementing travel restrictions and mandatory quarantines, closing borders and prohibiting non-citizens from entry with little advance notice,” the agency says.
In addition, the State Department says it will not issue any new passports except for people with a “qualified life-or-death emergency and who need a passport for immediate international travel within 72 hours.” The U.S. is banning all foreign travel to the United States from most of Europe for 30 days beginning midnight Friday, March 13. American citizens are not included in the ban.
The U.S. has also temporarily suspended nonessential travel to Mexico and Canada.
Kathleen Doheny, Ralph Ellis, Jonathan Mintz, Carolyn Crist and HealthDay News contributed to this report.